MOSCOW — With parliamentary elections only days away that are expected to reflect dwindling public support for Vladimir Putin’s party, Russian prosecutors have opened a case against the country’s only independent election monitoring organization.
The organization, Golos, has already posted reports of more than 4,500 violations of election law in the prelude to the voting Sunday. Golos receives financing from Western governments, including the United States, and some Russian officials have suggested the organization’s real aim is to incite an Arab Spring-type revolution in Russia.
A letter delivered by prosecutors Thursday said one of Golos’ most popular features — an online “map of violations” where people can post reports — violates a Russian law against publishing data, especially polling results, during the five days before voting.
The letter also accuses Golos of “dissemination of rumors under the guise of trustworthy reports, with the goal of defaming a party as well as its individual members.”
Denver Post wire services
